61 



well as in the neighbouring districts of Aricagua 

 and San Lorenzo, is the tobacco with large ses- 

 sile leaves *, called Virginia Tobacco. The to- 

 bacco with petiolate leaves which is the 

 yetl of the ancient Mexicans J, is unknown, 

 though it is designated in Germany under the 

 singular name of Turkish tobacco. 



If the culture of tobacco were free, the Pro- 

 vince of Cumana might furnish a great part of 

 Europe. It even appears, that other districts 

 would not be less favorable to this branch of 

 colonial industry, than the valley of Cumana- 

 coa, in which the too great frequency of rains 

 often injures the aromatic property of the leaves. 

 The growth being now confined to the space of 

 a few square leagues, the whole produce of the 

 harvest is only 6000 arrobas Nevertheless, 

 the two provinces of Cumana and Barcelona 

 consume 12,000. What is wanting is furnished 

 by Spanish Guyana. There are in general only 

 fifteen hundred persons employed in the tobac- 

 co harvest in the neighbourhood of Cumanacoa, 



* Nicotiana tabacum. 

 f Nicotiana rustica. 



I Political Essay on New Spain, T. ii, p. 444. In the 

 Crimea, the cultivation of the nicotiana paniculata is pre- 

 ferred. Pallas, Reise in die sudl. Stadthalterschaften, vol. 

 ii, p. 397. 



§ The harvest of 1798, was 3800 arrobas : that of 1799 

 amounted to 6100. 



